


A Happy Middle

by ifwegettherebysunset



Series: High Hopes [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Holding Hands, It's more of a Scene than a full-fledged fic, M/M, With Fluff, seriously it's just fluff, with flufff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 14:39:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15974402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifwegettherebysunset/pseuds/ifwegettherebysunset
Summary: Yusei and Atem sit on a roof. Life's good.





	A Happy Middle

**Author's Note:**

> no seriously there is no plot here it's just a terrible excuse for fluff

Autumn looks like a skin infection in Neo Domino. The patches of parks, where the only plants grow, turn vibrant and lovely on ground level. But even from a building as small as the one Yusei and Atem sit on, the oranges and reds are a rash.

A park's behind their building, a a few blocks distant. It's a tiny dot compared to the others, but it's teeming with just as much color. The way it catches the twilight and growing city lights creates a blazing kaleidoscope. Atem takes a picture. He tries to take one with Yusei's profile, but Yusei's got a sixth sense for cameras.

"Just one," Atem says. Yusei hunches a little. "You look wonderful, I promise. Turn your head."

Yusei focuses on the street below. Someone cruises on their bike, face hidden by their helmet. They neatly weave through startled pedestrians, ringing their bell belatedly after each one cries out. He's still stiffly conscious of Atem's camera, so it's not completely candid, but his face is enhanced by the background.

"Thank you," Atem says. Yusei offers a small smile.

They sit quietly for another while, Atem occasionally adjusting Yusei's jacket on his shoulders. Between them, their fingers touch, then catch, like in the movies. Life here feels like that sometimes: an apartment near a beautiful park and surrounded by people, with a good man who offers his jacket on chilly nights and has a smile like stardust. Because he didn't splurge on a penthouse, Yusei had the money to rent what used to be an office space within a five minutes' walk, which he's turned into his personal workshop. And Atem, he can do what he does best. He and Yusei participate in tournaments, but he also teaches. His dream career.

But the best part is this: when Yusei gets wrinkles, Atem will too. He's twenty-five now, with the hope of a long future.

Yes, they're both busy, and yes, they fight. Yes, Atem still gets lonely, and so does Yusei. Maybe Atem sometimes can't help the resentment when Yusei can just call one of his friends, and if they don't answer, he at least knows they're still somewhere in the world. Maybe Yusei sometimes looks at Atem and feels terribly inadequate, which leads to more sleepless nights and, unintentionally, more fights.

It's all definitely worth it.

Atem will frame that picture later. For now, he slides a little closer to home.


End file.
